5.11 Holster Shirt

This is a discussion on 5.11 Holster Shirt within the Defensive Carry Holsters & Carry Options forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; I was recently at the Scottsdale Gun Club and they had a rack of 5.11 holster shirts. I had seen them in catalogs before, but ...

5.11 Holster Shirt

I was recently at the Scottsdale Gun Club and they had a rack of 5.11 holster shirts. I had seen them in catalogs before, but never in-person. I tried one on and decided to buy it because the 5.11 gear was on-sale that day.

I have to say this is one terrific way to carry a small handgun. My P3-AT fit nice and snug in the holster pocket underneath my arm and it is easy to forget that you have a handgun. My Kahr CW-9 also fits in the holster pocket, but it is less comfortable. Almost any sub-compact handgun such as a Glock 26, Smith & Wesson M&P9c, etc. will work perfectly with these shirts.

You can wear almost any type of shirt over the holster shirt and the gun will be completely hidden. For those of who have not seen one, they are body-hugging t-shirts similar to the Under Armor athletic shirts.

A lot of guys I work with have them for plain clothes work. Wearing it and actually drawing from it to save your life are 2 completely different experiences. I guess it's better to have a gun on you and not have quick access to it than not have one at all. YMMV, but I find AIWB very fast and comfortable for sitting and driving.

A lot of guys I work with have them for plain clothes work. Wearing it and actually drawing from it to save your life are 2 completely different experiences. I guess it's better to have a gun on you and not have quick access to it than not have one at all. YMMV, but I find AIWB very fast and comfortable for sitting and driving.

No matter which way you carry, you will always have pros & cons for each carry setup. Open carry may have quick access to the firearm - but you have already tipped off the bad guys in advance - so they may beat you to the punch (shot). IWB is not bad - but then add a tucked shirt and speed could be an issue. But you are correct - to have a firearm on you is better than not - at least you could have a chance. So there is no perfect carry situation for every scenerio one might run up against.

Don't like the 5.11 shirt, but am a fan of t-shirt holsters if you use the right one. Can't disagree with you more symr00. Have used a t-shirt holster for years, and drawing from it virtually no more time than drawing from a in-the-pants that I can still make qualification score times with it easily, and two shots from holster in 1.5 sec isnt chump change. The difference is that I practice with it alot, most never do. Reminds me of the Deputy Sheriff out of Harris County that sued Safariland for him getting shot and not being able to draw his weapon from a SSIII holster he had bought the day before. Guess he missed the part in the instructions about not using it until you are comfortable with it and skipped the recommended 250 draws.

As to jayhawk glad you like it and hope it works better for you than it did for me.

Hey tersupt99...If I'm ever in Central Florida I'll put dinner on timmed shots with you using a belt holster with a snap and me using my t-shirt (under a shirt of course) LOL. Might loose, but it would be close.